Spoon, Girls Can Tell (Merge): Spoon's most ambitious
album is also their best. Leader/singer/guitarist/co-producer Britt
Daniel and his longtime partner/drummer/co-producer Jim Eno wanted to
make a classic sounding, rubbersoulful rock 'n' roll album (thus the
cover photograph of a vinyl 12-inch spinning). They succeeded, and
then some. The opener, "Everything Hits At Once," is gorgeous pop
with keyboards, vibes and mellotron setting up Daniel's
blue-eyed-soul. The lyric "Don't say a word/ The last one's still
stinging," says plenty, as does "I go to sleep but think you're next
to me." Heartache dead ahead. The moody noir ballad "Chicago At
Night" and the Big Starish "Anything You Want" are about one heart
breaking in two. Then there's the sting of career disappointment and
disillusionment. "Believing Is Art," "Lines in the Suit" and "Take A
Walk" dig that hole. Wanna get out of this place? Try the now sound
of anywhere but here.  Michael Goldberg